If you had a week to fish Edisto for Reds, trout and flounder in October, would you fish the North or South Edisto?
I enjoy the North Edisto best but the last two or three years my favorite spots have not been near as productive and I have been fishing the South Edisto more. I would start with the North and unless I was having great success, switch to the south during the week (the grass is all-ways greener). For shrimping, the south hands down.
Rob
Triumph 17
Honda 75
I usually prefer the North, but the numbers of fish have been way down for me (and others I know) in that area.
They will come back eventually I hope but its pretty sad.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com
Not to hijack this thread, but I fished that area regularly and did real well for 20+ years. Any idea why the numbers seem to be down for the past few years ? I always liked it because it wasn’t crowded like up here around Charleston.
Jack Taylor
Thats the 5 million dollar question!
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com
Disclaimer: I do not blame the reduction of the fish population in the North Edisto area on guides. I’m simply stating that the fishing pressure is higher than it has ever been.
quote:
Originally posted by Jack TaylorNot to hijack this thread, but I fished that area regularly and did real well for 20+ years. Any idea why the numbers seem to be down for the past few years ? I always liked it because it wasn’t crowded like up here around Charleston.
Jack Taylor
As a native of Wadmalaw, I can answer this question, but you answered it on your own.
I remember when we could go all day without seeing more than 2-3 boats on the river out there. But people started escaping the harbor and the yahoos out there and coming to Rockville. It didn’t take long for the fish to slow down.
Add to it the number of guides now fishing from Bohicket DAILY, sometimes multiple times daily, and the fish simply aren’t here for the most part. Certainly not like they were 20 years ago. Also, most of the old go-to spots are now inhabited by guides almost every time I fish. It’s sad, but hopefully the fish will come back.
Wadmalaw native
1999 16’ Bentz-Craft flats
1994 16’ Bentz-Craft flats
15’ Alumacraft, 1979 35 Johnson
ISLAND ARMORY, LLC - CONTACT ME FOR ALL OF YOUR FFL NEEDS!
Why not fish both sides? Sometimes, some of our spots on the north are better and sometimes it is the south. I like to fish the side that is producing, and I don’t like to look at the same trees and oyster bars all the time. Actually, this past weekend, we fished both sides and did pretty well on both (other than the crowd at Steamboat?.. what a mess!) Have fun.
This is true, but I don’t buy it. The pressure on this area is way way less than Charleston and IMO there is no way that fishing pressure is the main driver here.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com
Dang guides; this is why we can’t have nice things!
Redfish Baron Extraordinaire
My response came across as a bit terse, but I didn’t mean it that way. I believe that its probably more like a year or two of stocked fish did not survive for whatever reason. Maybe its runoff coming down the Edisto river? Who knows, there could be any number of reasons and all we can do is speculate. All I know is there are not nearly as many fish there as there used to be, at the moment
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com
Lead is right…catching fishing around Edisto has Not sure what the reason is as not that much pressure seems to be there.
My response may seem REALLY terse. Leadenwahboy, the redfish population plummeted between 2011-2012 in Wadmalaw Sound. The flats populations dropped back to 25% or less of what they were in 2010 in basically 1 year. This had NOTHING to do with fishing pressure and still doesn’t. That area is some of the LEAST fished in the state. 2 year classes are pretty much missing. This year there are lots of 1 year olds and some 4-5 year olds but very few 18-25 inch fish (2-3 yr old). 220,000 baby reds were stocked in the area in 2012, and it made absolutely ZERO impact on the local population. They never showed up! What happened or continues to happen is still a mystery to DNR. Young fish are not repopulating the area as in the past.
But to answer the original question, trout and redfish populations are down this year in both rivers as compared to past years. The trout fishing will be better on clear water days (light winds) in the South (St. Helena Sound) in October than the North. If the wind is blowing harder than 10mph, I would stay in the North as the water will be clearer insuring a better chance of success. For reds, it’s all about locating fish. Numbers are smaller, but if you get on them in October, they WILL eat!
quote:
Originally posted by RADDADDYMy response may seem REALLY terse. Leadenwahboy, the redfish population plummeted between 2011-2012 in Wadmalaw Sound. The flats populations dropped back to 25% or less of what they were in 2010 in basically 1 year. This had NOTHING to do with fishing pressure and still doesn’t. That area is some of the LEAST fished in the state. 2 year classes are pretty much missing. This year there are lots of 1 year olds and some 4-5 year olds but very few 18-25 inch fish (2-3 yr old). 220,000 baby reds were stocked in the area in 2012, and it made absolutely ZERO impact on the local population. They never showed up! What happened or continues to happen is still a mystery to DNR. Young fish are not repopulating the area as in the past.
All of that may be true. I do not fish the sound anymore, and couldn’t comment on numbers there. I do see the disparity between the young fish and the old fish, hadn’t put those 2 together to deduce a reason, but it seems very possible that you are 100% correct.
BUT…fishing pressure is certainly up in the North Edisto in my opinion.
Wadmalaw native
1999 16’ Bentz-Craft flats
1994 16’ Bentz-Craft flats
15’ Alumacraft, 1979 35 Johnson
ISLAND ARMORY, LLC - CONTACT ME FOR ALL OF YOUR FFL NEEDS!